"...The Argonauts of Strike Fighter Squadron 147 technically began the transition to the F-35 in December after landing back at Lemoore following a six-month deployment aboard the carrier Nimitz as part of Carrier Air Wing 11.

“That was the final time they flew in the Super Hornet and their maintainers and pilots have now been training, both down at Eglin Air Force Base, as well as in Lemoore with the [Replacement Squadron], VFA-125,” said Cmdr. Ron Flanders, spokesman for Naval Air Forces in San Diego.

“Pilots have been going to training in the full-mission simulators in Lemoore and we anticipate them being certified as safe for flight later this year,” he said. Despite the wait, “they are officially considered an operational squadron, the Navy’s first and only operational F-35C squadron.” [???]

Navy officials are targeting October as a ready date for VFA-147, which will be receiving aircraft from the Roughriders of VFA-125, as well from the factory. “The Navy understands that the threshold and objective dates, August 2018 and February 2019, are at risk due to a delay in the schedule,” said Lt. Cmdr. Leslie Hubbell, spokeswoman for Naval Air Forces. “Once full capability has been demonstrated, and all other IOC criteria have been met, the Navy will declare that the F-35C has achieved Initial Operational Capability.”

The next step for the Argonauts will be to start more intensive flying as they begin their integration into a carrier air wing, a process that will include preparation for deployment on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in 2021. What remains unclear, though, iswho will come after VFA-147 in the transition to the F-35C. The Navy has not yet clarified how that continued transition will unfold.

But what is clear is that the Navy has an ambitiousplan for the Joint Strike Fighter, with a goal of fielding 20 operational JSF squadrons by the early 2030s.... [USN must have own meaning for fast & ambitious]

"The Navy’s Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-147 ‘Argonauts’ completed its first F-35C flight at Naval Air Station (NAS) Lemoore, Calif. April 18. The inaugural flight supports the squadron’s transition from the F/A-18E Super Hornet to the F-35C, marking a significant step toward the integration of the F-35C weapons system into the Navy’s arsenal.

“In the back of my mind, I knew this day would happen eventually, but I still can’t believe that we are here, we are doing it and I have the privilege of being a part of this amazing program,” said Lt. Dave “Strokes” Hinkle, the first U.S. Navy operational squadron pilot to fly the F-35C. “When you realize what this day means, not just in the context of our squadron’s history, but also what it means to the U.S. Navy, it is both simultaneously humbling and empowering to catch a glimpse of what’s in store for our community.”

The squadron began the initial transition in December after completing a six-month deployment aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) as part of Carrier Air Wing 11. Since their return, both pilots and maintainers have undergone extensive training, completing F-35 ground school at Eglin Air Force Base and NAS Lemoore. The transition, which is set to be complete in late 2018, makes the Argonauts the first operational squadron in the USN to receive and field the aircraft."